The Cliffs of Arbel, Tiberias

King of the castle


Little Cliff

Shalom Aleichem,

Thursday
Looking into the village of Hamam, just outside Tiberias, from 1300 feet above gives one a spectacular feeling. The sounds too, are interesting. We heard the roosters crowing, the crows roosting(?), horses neighing, donkeys braying, Jeffrey praying (the car would remain intact) and the jingling tune of the ice cream truck in the Arab village.
A Patio view

Grocery unpacking

The hike, actually it was more climb than hike, could stand anywhere in our opinion. It wasn’t that long in distance but we climbed steeply. It was thrilling reaching and standing on the top of the Arbel Cliffs, looking over the village below, Safed in the distant hills and the Kinneret.

A cooler view

Surprisingly, we came across only two people over the period and we think they were lost. It is an outstanding trail, climb and hike.

We explored the caves where people had secured themselves in earlier ages when Herod, for one, sent his attackers to rout resistance.

Sturdy as a goat!

It seems that man’s history, our current times included, are replete with destroy or be destroyed mentalities. We leave our issue a ‘wonderful legacy’. Okay, we’ll stop there, dear Editor. Meantime, we continue to be astounded that people lived 1300 feet above the ground with access via steep, rocky climbs and along narrow edges.

A few winks in the shade

Our editor wonders how they brought the groceries home after shopping. We’re still thinking about that one. We feel bad though. We thought shopping in Netanya was tough. Can we retract that paragraph from Tuesday’s narrative?
The weather. After the south-west district, we thought the north would be cooler. Ha! Talk about popular misconceptions. It’s okay because it’s a dry heat. Hmm! A hundred degrees is a hundred degrees, fellows. There was nothing dry about our clothes or bodies. We were even ‘wet behind our ears’.

Hot but great times!

The New York Stock Exchange is most erratic these days. We don’t mean the movement of prices. It is the opening time. What’s happening over there? Last month when we were in Washington, it opened at 9:30am. Switzerland—4:30pm, Israel—4:30pm last week and this week, 3:30pm. Man, we are having more difficulty guessing times than prices. You think your lives are difficult.
Our new home

We visited the pharmacy for a refill of cream that Jen received from the nurse at the Kibbutz Ami’ad earlier in the week. That in itself was an interesting experience. While Jenni was talking to the nurse, an elderly woman fell from her wheel chair while being pushed by a young Filipino assistant. The nurse came running out followed by a newly qualified male nurse—me. Anyway, back to the present. The pharmacist said in broken English, as broken as our Hebrew—‘no prescription, no medicine.’ Sad to have two great languages damaged like that. In a non-American approach, he waived the requirement ten seconds later. It was nice to see a professional using discretion.

Testing the view

This evening, after doing some business, we set off for the town to eat dinner. Tiberias has a nice atmosphere; we always enjoy our visits to it. We watched with interest as people talked, shouted, joked and greeted each other. Warm weather and warmth in outlook seems to be the order of the day. A little different from our days in Switzerland. We sat on a sidewalk and ate plates of salads with pita on the side and ‘cheeps’. Last night it was salad in the pita. Do you notice an adventurous eating pattern? Anyway, the point is that one can learn more about life watching the inter-action outside these little food shops than at university. Hell, you all knew that anyway.
Closing on summit


‘I think I have it,’ chirped our editor suddenly. ‘Have what?’ we asked. ‘I know how they got their groceries from Ralphs and Pick ’n Pay to the top of Arbel in the early days. Of course, they used donkeys,’ she informed us. ‘Aha,’ we exclaimed, ‘and how would we do that nowadays. ‘Same way. We’d use the ‘donkeys’ we marry,’ she mentioned with a twinkle in her blue eyes.
‘Ooh! And so close to Yom Kippur.’

Tiberias at night

To those who honor Yom Kippur, may you have a meaningful fast. To those whom we have offended this past year, please forgive us. (An unusual place to make the plea but our options are limited.) Have a great Shabbos, too.

Shalom,

Jenni and Jeffrey